Student Moral Focus™ Presenters a Highlight at Leadership Summit 2026
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The nine Moral Focus™ virtues taught at National Heritage Academies® (NHA®) schools were on spectacular display during the 2026 Leadership Summit, where several students gathered to showcase their skills at applying them to their daily lives.
Principals and deans from all 105 NHA schools gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the annual event, which focuses on professional development, inspiration, and equipping leaders with the tools to lead their schools. Between presentations and break-out sessions, participants heard from student finalists in NHA’s annual Moral Focus™ Writing and Art Contest.
Canton Charter Academy rising second-grader Ryaan Singh took the stage with NHA Manager of School Leadership Development Jen Hoppesch to discuss the artwork he created for September’s Moral Focus™ virtue, Wisdom. Ryaan explained that having wisdom helps him make good decisions, describing his drawing of himself helping a classmate pick up dropped books. The audience delighted in his sweet, matter-of-fact approach to doing the right thing and applauded as Canton Charter Academy Principal Jennifer Conley led him off the stage.
Moral Focus™ Team Lead Morgan Faasse said watching students share their artwork and writing was a highlight of the event.
“It takes tremendous courage for a student to stand in front of hundreds of school leaders and share a poem or artwork that is deeply personal to them. Watching these students take that leap and express our Moral Focus™ virtues through their own unique perspectives was incredibly powerful.”
Camila Ortiz-Ramos, a rising eighth grade student at Excel Charter Academy in Michigan, recited her poem about May’s Moral Focus™ virtue, Integrity. Her performance prompted shouts of encouragement and appreciation from the crowd, who were impressed with her grasp of such a difficult subject.
The Weight of Standing Straight
By Camila Ortiz-Ramos
Integrity is not a granted halo.
It is a spine.
It is standing straight
while everything in you
begs to bend,
not because bending is evil,
but because it would be easier
to survive crooked.
Integrity is choosing the arduous road
with blistered feet
over the shortcut
that costs your identity.
It is the bruise you carry from
saying no
when yes would have bought you
acceptance.
Integrity does not reward you immediately.
Sometimes it does not reward you
at all.
It lets you watch others pass by
with lighter consciences
and fuller hands.
It asks you to persist anyways.
It is doing the right thing
without witnesses,
without forgiveness,
without the comfort of being
understood.
It is releasing what you
reached for when it asked
you to become someone
you could not defend.
Integrity is the moment
you choose to live
with yourself
instead of being admired by everyone
else.
Maybe that's why it hurts,
because integrity does not save you
from isolation.
It saves you from
being someone you would
not recognize in
the quiet.
Other student presenters, all from Michigan schools, included Day’Moni Thomas, a recent graduate of Linden Charter Academy in Flint, Windemere Park Charter Academy rising third-grader Tahir Roper, from Lansing, and Elijah Martin, a rising sixth grader from Pembroke Academy in Detroit.
“Seeing and hearing students share their Moral Focus™ learning is a moving experience and a reminder of why this work matters,” Faasse said. “Their talent is remarkable, but what stands out even more is the depth of understanding they demonstrate about our virtues and how those virtues shape the world around them. These students are going to change the world!”
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 67,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.
A mock classroom and teaching demonstration was presented during Leadership Summit.
Principals and deans from all 105 NHA schools gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the annual event, which focuses on professional development, inspiration, and equipping leaders with the tools to lead their schools. Between presentations and break-out sessions, participants heard from student finalists in NHA’s annual Moral Focus™ Writing and Art Contest.
Canton Charter Academy rising second-grader Ryaan Singh took the stage with NHA Manager of School Leadership Development Jen Hoppesch to discuss the artwork he created for September’s Moral Focus™ virtue, Wisdom. Ryaan explained that having wisdom helps him make good decisions, describing his drawing of himself helping a classmate pick up dropped books. The audience delighted in his sweet, matter-of-fact approach to doing the right thing and applauded as Canton Charter Academy Principal Jennifer Conley led him off the stage.
Canton Charter second-grader, Ryaan Singh, receives Ollie the Owl from Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Zack Perfitt (right), and NHA Manager of School Leadership Development Jen Hoppesch (left).
Moral Focus™ Team Lead Morgan Faasse said watching students share their artwork and writing was a highlight of the event.
“It takes tremendous courage for a student to stand in front of hundreds of school leaders and share a poem or artwork that is deeply personal to them. Watching these students take that leap and express our Moral Focus™ virtues through their own unique perspectives was incredibly powerful.”
Moral Focus™ Team Lead Morgan Faasse and Director of Curriculum Leslie Stiles speak with a group of school leaders.
Camila Ortiz-Ramos, a rising eighth grade student at Excel Charter Academy in Michigan, recited her poem about May’s Moral Focus™ virtue, Integrity. Her performance prompted shouts of encouragement and appreciation from the crowd, who were impressed with her grasp of such a difficult subject.
The Weight of Standing Straight
By Camila Ortiz-Ramos
Integrity is not a granted halo.
It is a spine.
It is standing straight
while everything in you
begs to bend,
not because bending is evil,
but because it would be easier
to survive crooked.
Integrity is choosing the arduous road
with blistered feet
over the shortcut
that costs your identity.
It is the bruise you carry from
saying no
when yes would have bought you
acceptance.
Integrity does not reward you immediately.
Sometimes it does not reward you
at all.
It lets you watch others pass by
with lighter consciences
and fuller hands.
It asks you to persist anyways.
It is doing the right thing
without witnesses,
without forgiveness,
without the comfort of being
understood.
It is releasing what you
reached for when it asked
you to become someone
you could not defend.
Integrity is the moment
you choose to live
with yourself
instead of being admired by everyone
else.
Maybe that's why it hurts,
because integrity does not save you
from isolation.
It saves you from
being someone you would
not recognize in
the quiet.
Camila Ortiz-Ramos, an eighth grade student at Excel, recited her poem about May’s Moral Focus™ virtue, Integrity.
Other student presenters, all from Michigan schools, included Day’Moni Thomas, a recent graduate of Linden Charter Academy in Flint, Windemere Park Charter Academy rising third-grader Tahir Roper, from Lansing, and Elijah Martin, a rising sixth grader from Pembroke Academy in Detroit.
“Seeing and hearing students share their Moral Focus™ learning is a moving experience and a reminder of why this work matters,” Faasse said. “Their talent is remarkable, but what stands out even more is the depth of understanding they demonstrate about our virtues and how those virtues shape the world around them. These students are going to change the world!”
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 67,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.